Islamabad says US attack suspect is not a Pakistani national
Foreign Office says the suspect arrested in Delaware was wrongly identified as Pakistani, calling him Afghan
Aamir Abbasi
Editor, Islamabad
Aamir; a journalist with 15 years of experience, working in Newspaper, TV and Digital Media. Worked in Field, covered Big Legal Constitutional and Political Events in Pakistan since 2009 with Pakistan’s Top Media Organizations. Graduate of Quaid I Azam University Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has clarified that a man arrested in the United States on charges of planning an attack and possessing weapons is neither a Pakistani citizen nor of Pakistani origin.
U.S. media reports identified the suspect as 25-year-old Luqman Khan, who was taken into custody in Delaware on Nov. 24. He is accused of possessing firearms, large quantities of ammunition, explosive materials, and notes allegedly outlining plans to attack a police department. Authorities reportedly recovered the items from his vehicle and home.
The Foreign Office said the suspect is a student at a university in Delaware.
Responding to media queries, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said the individual “is not a Pakistan national or Pakistan origin.”
“He is Afghan, spent a few years as a refugee, and then went to the United States where he spent most of his life,” he said.
U.S. authorities charged the suspect on Nov. 26. He is expected to appear in court on Dec. 11.
The Foreign Office further said the case has no connection to Pakistan and criticized media reports that incorrectly identified the man as Pakistani.
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